Department for Transport

Rail update

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: My Right Honourable friend, the Secretary of State for Transport (Grant Shapps), has made the following Ministerial Statement. I am updating the House that the Department for Transport has negotiated a further Direct Award for the Cross Country rail franchise. I am pleased to inform the house that the Government has signed a new contract with Arriva to ensure vital train services continue across the UK’s most extensive rail network. Stretching from Aberdeen to Penzance and from Stansted Airport to Cardiff, CrossCountry’s network is the most geographically extensive passenger rail franchise in Great Britain. It calls at over 100 stations and connects seven of Britain’s ten largest cities. The new agreement means Arriva CrossCountry, which has run the service since 2007, will continue to operate the franchise for three more years until October 2023. This brings stability to CrossCountry services and provides certainty for passengers and staff as the future direction of rail reform takes shape. Vital, long-distance rail services, which people across the length of Great Britain rely on, will continue to run and support the UK’s recovery from COVID-19, thanks to this new contract. As people return to the railway, passengers will benefit from more capacity and operational staff, along with new measures to help passengers with disabilities, aligned with current best practice across the rail industry. The contract also has a renewed focus on tackling environmental impacts. To reduce diesel emissions, Arriva CrossCountry will trial the use of electrical shore supplies when Turbostars are in depots for cleaning, and on-train batteries when Voyagers enter end leave stations. We will continue to work with the owners of the Voyagers to ensure engines are turned off when at platforms. This new contract complements the Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements (ERMAs) announced in September, in place for up to 18 months, where the Government pays train companies a small management fee to keep services running through the pandemic. The contract will see the Government take on the revenue and cost risk associated with the franchise and pay Arriva a performance-linked fee to operate the service, incentivising the company to deliver improvements to operational performance, passenger experience and service quality.

Department for Work and Pensions

Update on In-Work Progression Commission: Call for Evidence

Baroness Stedman-Scott: My Right Honourable Friend, The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Dr Thérèse Coffey MP) has made the following Written Statement.I established the In-Work Progression Commission - led by Baroness McGregor-Smith - in March this year as part of this government’s commitment to levelling up opportunities for those who want to progress from lower paid jobs into higher paid work. In response to Covid-19, our focus is getting people back into work and our £30bn Plan for Jobs will support hundreds of thousands of people of all ages do this. Now however is also the time to lay the groundwork for the future when people will be able and striving to progress. The Commission wants to hear from all sectors, including businesses, charities, think-tanks, advocacy groups and other community focused organisations as well as from individuals who have or have not progressed out of low pay. We have launched a call for evidence, details of which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/call-for-evidence-and-good-practice-on-in-work-progression/call-for-evidence-and-good-practice-on-in-work-progression We want written contributions that highlight the challenges to progression in low-paid sectors and how best to support talented people to rise through the ranks. A copy of the call for evidence document will be placed in the House Library and responses can be sent to progression.commission@dwp.gov.uk.